Submarine bomb.



W. .I. HALLOCK.

SUBMARINE BOMB.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE25, 1915.

Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. HALLOCK, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

SUBMARINE BOMB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

Application filed June 25, 1915. Serial No. 36,163.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. HALLOCK, a citizenwof the United States, residing at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Submarine Bombs, of which the following is a specification.

Aviators flying over thelsea at considerable heights areable to observe clearly submarine vessels submerged beneath them, and to determine approximately the depth at which such vessels are submerged.

The obiect of this invention is to provide a bomb which may be dropped from a flying machine or other airship, upon the surface of the water above such vessel or in the path of its movement, adapted to sink in the water and be exploded therein at a depth determined by the aviator to be the same as that of the submarine, so as to cause such explosion to take place as closely as possible to such vessel and thus destroy or disable the latter.

The bomb carries a free light cable terminating in a parachute or other device adapted to support the cable vertically during the descent of the bomb, and the cable is provided with means which upon reaching the surface of the water is acted upon by the latter and the submerged bomb exploded through coacting devices.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification and show a preferred form of the invention. I

Figure 1 is an elevation on a small scale, showing the bomb in" its descent with the cable supported'by a parachute. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the bomb alone, on a much larger scale, with a portion at the upper end broken away to show ah inclosed battery. Fig. 3 is a vertical section, partly in elevation, showing a mechanical contact device carried by the cable and adapted to be actuated by impact upon the water surface to close the electric circuit. Fig. 4 is an elevation of one of a series of cells carried by the cable and adapted to close the circuit by the action of water on a material serving to hold the inclosed contact-points separated. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the same, taken on the line 5-5 in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a corresponding transverse section taken on the line 6-6 in Fig. 4.. Fig. 7 is an elevation corresponding to Fig. 4 but with certain portions removed to show the contactin condition to be acted upon by the height.

The bomb has a chamber at A for the charge of high explosive, provided with an electric detonator or exploding device of any approved type, indicated at A and a battery chamber A at the upper end in which is the electric battery A of any suitable construction for supplying the current required to actuate the detonator.

Wires A A project through a plug A of insulating material at the upper end of the bomb and are provided with means for attaching the corresponding wires B B of a light cable B thus secured to the bomb. At the free end of the cable is a small parachute C intended by its resistance in falling to straighten the cable during the descent of the bomb and cause the latter to assume a vertical position at or before entering the water and during its descent therein.

Immediately below the parachute is a device, shown in Fig. 3, adapted to collapse by. impact against the water surface and complete the electric circuit to actuate the detonator A As shown it comprises a. dished disk D of aluminum .or other light material having a flexible diaphragm D covering the lower concave face; the disk D carries an insulated contact-ring D and the diaphragm carries a similar ring D, the

latter held separated from the former by a light helical spring D which distends the diaphragm. The rings are suitably connected each to one of the cable wires B B Fig. 8 is a similar elevation showing preferably of slender cylin- The descent of the bomb through the water causes the diaphragm D to strike the surface of the water with sufficient force to overcome the resistance offered by the spring D and drive the rings D D into momentary contact and thus explode the sub-' merged bomb at a distance beneath the surface determined by-the length of the cable. By selecting a bomb equipped with a cable of the desired length, the aviator may cause the explosion to take place at the desired depth.

In addition to the above described device.

operated by impact, the cable is provided at intervals with cells F secured thereon, each having a water tight cover F and inclosed spring contact points F F connected to the F F to come together and thus close thecircuit. Any material having the soluble properties of starch or calcium carbid combined with the required non-conducting quality may be employed to separate the contact-points. To avoid accidental displacement of the pellet F in handling with a cover F removed, the points F F? are protected by a separable cap or shell F perforated on its face to admit water readily. With the cable thus equipped the aviator removes the cover F from a cell located at a distance from the bomb corresponding to the estimated depth of the submarine to be attacked and releases the bomb and its attached cable over the vessel if at rest, or if in motion, in the path of the vessel at a point at which it is estimated the latter will arrive at."the same time the opened cell reaches the water and causes the submerged bomb to explode.

The i pact device may beused without the series of cells or may be omitted and the cells employed alone. The impact device may be made light enough to serve the function of a parachute in maintaining the cable during the descent-of'the bomb, or if the cable be exceedingly light and thin it may serve successfully alone without the parachute or other sustaining means.

Other modifications may be made in the forms of the parts, and the construction of the impact device and cells may be varied within wide limits without departing from the principle of the invention.

I claim e 1. A bomb adapted to be dropped from the air into water, an exploding device in said bomb, trailing means attached to said bomb to fall freely therewith and to be maintained vertically during the descent. of the bomb through the air and through the water, and collapsible means on said trail-- ing means operable by contact with the water surface to actuate said exploding device.

2. A bomb adapted to be dropped from the air into water, an exploding device in said bomb,'trailing means attached to said bomb to fall freely therewith and to be maintained vertically during the descent of the bomb through the air and through the water, collapsible .means on said trailing means operable by contact with the water intervals on said cable for actuating said exploding device by the contact of a selected one of such means with the water surface during the descent of said bomb in the water.

4. A bomb adapted to be dropped from the air into water, an exploding device in said bomb, a cable attachedto said bomb to fall freely therewith, and collapsible means on said cable constructed to be operated by impact upon the water surface and actuate said exploding device during the descent of said bomb in the water.

5. A bomb adapted to be dropped from the air into water, an exploding device in said bomb, a cable attached to said bomb to fall freely therewith and be maintained vertically, and spaced cells located on said cable and adapted to be conditioned for actuating said exploding device by the contact of such cell with the water surface during the descent of said bomb in the water.

6. A bomb adapted to be dropped from the air into water, an exploding device in said bomb, a cable attached to said bomb to fall freely therewith, a series of water-tight cells located at measured intervals on said cable, each of said cells adapted to be conditioned to permit the ingress of water thereto, and when thus conditioned'to actuate said exploding device by contactof such -cell with the water surface during the descent of said bomb in the water.

7. A bomb adapted to be dropped from the air into water, an electrically operated exploding device in said bomb, a cable attached to said bomb to fall freely therewith, collapsible means on "said cable and contactpoints carried by such means and adapted to contact by the impact of such means upon the water surface and actuate said explod-,

ingdevice during the descent of said bomb in the water.

8. A bomb adapted to be dropped from the air into water, an electrically operated exploding device in said bomb, a cable attached to said bomb to fall freely therewith, a series of water-tight cells on said cable, contact-points in each cell held separated by material soluble in water, and a removable. cover for each of said cells.

9. A bomb adapted to be dropped from the air into water, an electrically operated exploding device in said bomb, a cable attached to said bomb to fall-freely therewith and be maintained vertically, electric contact devices on said cable actuated by the action. of water thereon, comprising selectable means carried by the cable for actuating the exploding device at a predetermined distance beneath the surface of the Water, and means for maintaining said cable in vertical position during the descent of said bomb and cable.

10. A bomb adapted to be dropped vertically from the air into Water, an electrically operated exploding device in said bomb, a cable attached to said bomb to fall freely therewith and be maintained vertically, electric contact devices on said cable and collapsible and operated by impact upon the Water, and a parachuteflQn the free end of said cable for maintaining the latter in vertical position during the descent of said bomb and cable through the air and Water.

11. A bomb adapted to be dropped vertically from the air into Water, an electrically operated exploding device in said bomb, a cable attached to said bomb to fall freely therewith and be maintained vertically, an electric contact device on said cable and collapsible and operated by impact upon the surface of the Water, and a parachute on the free end of said cable for maintaining the latter in vertical position during the descent of said bomb and cable through the air and Water.

the air into water, an electrically operated exploding device in said bomb, a cable attached to said bomb to fall freely therewith, electric contact devices on said cable operated by dissolving a separating insulating medium located between the points of said contact devices by contact with the water, and a parachute on the free end of said cable for maintaining the latter in vertical position during the descent of said bomb and cable.

13. A bomb adapted to be' dropped from the air into Water, an electric exploding device in said bomb, trailing means attached to said bomb to fall freely therewith, means on said trailing means for maintaining the latter vertically during the descent of the bomb through the air and through the Water, electric contact points on said trailing means operable by contact with the Water surface to actuate said exploding device, a perforated cap inclosing said points and constructed to permit access of Water thereto, and a removable cover inclosing said cap and supported independently thereof and constructed to exclude Water from said points.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I affix my signature.

WILLIAM J. HALLOCK. 

